Chapter Two
Previously on Harry Potter and the Way of the Warrior…
Harry made a decision, he was going to leave…
The only problem, he had nowhere to go. The last ten minutes found Harry pacing his room in an attempt to shake loose an idea.
Grimwauld Place?
Too many people, I need someplace quiet.
The Burrow?
Funny, I thought the point is to get AWAY from people.
While talking to yourself is normal, answering is a whole different story. Harry was beginning to think he was loosing it.
How about Hogwarts?…
…He lost it.
Oh yeah! That could work. I could just walk through the doors right up to the common room. Maybe take a pit stop at the kitchens to check in on Dobby, or the dungeons to say "Hi" to Snape; or possibly ask Myrtle out on date. Might as well pet the basilisk while I'm there…
Harry could have slapped himself.
The chamber!
It was almost perfect. Although, it brings up the question of how he was going to get to it. The entrance, after all, was located within Hogwarts, in a deserted girls bathroom. Well, that and the immense basilisk corpse decaying in the middle of the chamber, but he decided to deal with that problem when he came to it. However, he doubted that he could leave the Dursley's house and venture into Hogwarts without attracting the attention of the Headmaster, or his Order.
How would I even get there? Harry thought
I can't apparate yet, not like that would help, and I don't have any spare portkey's lying around. Harry was stuck. He was starting to think he had to find another place to stay. Getting into the chamber was just too hard.
What about the night bus, could that work? Can it even go to Hogwarts? Well, only one way to find out. First though, I have to stop off at Diagon Alley.
Harry decided to map out what he needed to do. Grabbing a piece of paper and a pen, which is much more efficient than a quill, he made a list.
Leave the Dursley's
Get some new clothes and equipment for training (Maybe something to make the chamber more livable)
Find a place to live if the chamber is unavailable
Find out if I can do magic in the chamber without being caught, or find a way to lift the underage restriction
Prepare for the inevitable fight with Voldemort
Harry now had a rough idea as to what he had to do. Now, the only problem was deciding when to leave, and getting away from the Order members surrounding his house.
Harry snorted. He made it sound so easy. I doubt they'll let me walk right past them, summon the Night Bus, and leave. Although, maybe if I left on Dung's rotation? That could work, but how will I know when it's him? All those damn Order members wear invisibility cloaks. Harry scowled, this was turning out to be harder than he thought.
Although I could probably smell Dung, I don't want to depend on that. This brought a small smile to Harry's face.
Maybe if I used my own invisibility cloak…No, I bet Dumbledore would have thought of that.
Harry was starting to get frustrated, so he decided to go through some of his old school books, hoping that maybe the answer would come to him if he stopped thinking about it for a while. Deciding to start with the basics, Harry pulled out The Standard Book of Spells: Grade One.
Harry spent the remainder of the day going through the rest of his first year books, and by the end of it had a major headache from trying to remember the countless spells and potion ingredients.
How does Hermione do it? Harry wondered, while wishing for some way to organize the torrent of thoughts running through his mind.
Unbidden, the thought of clear your mind popped up inside Harry, and he snorted at the irony.
Bullshit, I doubt that Dumbledore, with all of his thoughts, simply clears his mind. Screw Snape and his half-ass teaching. If he would have taught me correctly, Sirius might still be alive. Harry felt tears begin to form, as waves of sorrow and guilt crashed into him, and closed his eyes, not allowing the tears to shed.
This is all their fault, him and Dumbledore. Dumbledore should have told me about the prophecy, he should have never appointed Snape to teach me Occulmency.
Dumbledore did what he thought was right; it is not his fault that you and Snape couldn't get past a pitiful grudge. The reasonable part of Harry's mind, or his conscious, retorted.
Snape had the grudge! Ever since day one he has hated me, because of his hatred for my FATHER! Not even with me! I did nothing!
No, It was not their fault! You knew from experience that Snape wouldn't teach you well, and could have looked for a book, or tried to figure it out yourself. There is no one else to blame. You've got to quit with this Kindergarten bullshit and take responsibility for your actions, regardless of how Snape, or any one else, treats you.
… Harry fell silent, knowing that his conscious was right, but that didn't mean he had to like it. Blaming Snape took some of his own guilt away, and loosing him as a scapegoat left Harry in mix between being entrapped by guilt, and consumed by anger. He sat down in his old chair, which was slightly broken from when Dudley tried to sit on it, and stared out the window. Looking over the back fence towards the neighbors house, Harry wondered what it would be like to be them, living without fear of death. Not having to be a prisoner in his own home, watched over by Order members…
For a second time that day, Harry could have slapped himself.
I doubt they watch the other houses, and I could go guard change. Guard change is what Harry had taken to calling the tiny 'pops' or 'cracks' of apparition the Order members made when changing shifts.
I'll go tomorrow morning.
Harry heaved a sigh and smiled. If all went as planned, this would be his last night at Privet Drive.
Shadows receded off plastered walls, driven away by the rays of sun leaking through the window. Eager to raise the inhabitants of the small bedroom, they found blazing green emeralds full of anticipation. At 8:30 in the morning, Harry sat, waiting for the day's events.
With a carpe diem attitude, he had already packed his invisibility cloak and some schoolbooks into one of Dudley's old backpacks. He had thought about bringing clothes, but had decided against it, based on the fact that he was going to buy some in Diagon Alley that actually fit. Knowing there was usually a guard change around 11:00, Harry opted to eat a quick breakfast.
